CANTERBURY SOCIETY OF ARTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6183, 10 March 1888, Page 4

CANTERBURY SOCIETY OF ARTS.

-»' - ! Pinal Notice. i In a young country like this, where painting is studied more as an accomplishment than as a means of gaining a livelihood, we naturally expect to find that a large proportion of the members of our Art Societies belong to the fair sex. So far as Canterbury i 3 concerned, we have no reason to feel ashamed of the quality of the female art work shown in the present | Exhibition. Somo of the drawings are, it must be confessed, decidedly feeble, but, I on the other hand, among the best pictures are to be found some from the brush of ladies. Por example, Miss Sperrey, for vigour of handling and correct drawing, is not surpassed, if indeed she is equalled, by any artist in the Colony, while Mrs Findlay, who exhibits for the first time this year, shows that she is a landscape painter of undoubted and original ability. Por the most part; however, the ladies are more skilful in depicting what is generally known as " still life," and of this branch of art there are numerous and admirable examples. Among these latter may bs instanced the'panels by Miss P. Wimperis, of Dunedin. No. 6, " Daffodils," is a very careful and broadly-painted study, displaying all thoso excellent qualities we expect to find from this lady. "Roses" (90) is by far the artist's best work, the colour being very delicate, and true to nature, while "Poppies" (139), "Foxgloves" (142), and " Pink Mallow " are perhaps the mout artistic panels hei_e. Miss Wimperis has also a clever little study of the Longbeach Lagoon (165), full of careful work, though not at all laboured. Miss Grace Joel's oil-painting of a girl's head, " Grannie's Pet" (13), is decidedly weak, and is evidently the production of a novice, and Miss Theakstone's "Still Life" (14), which hangs next, is not very interesting, being simply a picture of a violin and some music. Miss A. Taylor's careful painting of Maori and South Sea relics havo an ethnological rather tha.u an artistic interest, but she none the less deserves praise for the attention she pays to the smallest details. The same remarks apply to No. 89, a similar work, but even more elaborated. The first contribution of Miss Sperrey that we come to, "White Wings" (26), is certainly not worthy of this clever lady, being not only flimsy in sentiment, but poorly painted. It shows a conventional cherub, floating in mid-air, by the aid of white wings, and belongs to what may bo called the "valentine" school of art. Of quite a different kind is No. 63, " Clematis," a young Maori girl, ; looking out from a bush ot* the flower j which gives its name to the picture. | This is vigorously painted, and the colour of the complexion is admirably caught. No. 64, another Btudy of a Native woman, entitled " A Type of Beauty," is still better, the rendering of the expression of this noble specimen of tho Maori race being especially forcible. '•"Maori Schoolboy" (71) has considerable merit, but the dark shadow in the forehead is inexplicable. "My Pussy" (74), a fascinating little girl, in a red-lined hood, holding a kitten in her arms, is a pretty little picture, and the animal's head is well painted. "Leaving Home" (82) is the only approach to. a subject picture that Mies Sperrey sends this year. It represents an Italian peasant boy leaning on a Btaff, and standing by the side of a canal. Though somewhat on a smaller scale than this artist usually adopts, the manner is broad and vigorous, and the background is fairly good. The only water-colour, which, by the way, is hung too high, that Miss Sperrey sends, is the study of an old man's head, and is so good as to make us regret that there is not more of her work in this medium in the Exhibition. Passing by some flower panels and plaques, the production of Mrs L. Wilson, Mis 3R. Dixon, Miss F. Eichardson, and Miss M. Mcc, which, though showing skill and care, do not possess any distinctive qualities to call for special notice, we come upon a little picture by Mrs Findlay, whose work we do not remember to have met with before. No. 39, "Holiday Time," is rather commonplace 'as to subject, being simply a boy .fishing, with a dog by his side. The figures are not particularly good, but there is excellent quality in the painting of the grey rushes and sky. Mrs Findlay's other landscape, however, hung on the opposite side of the room, may be classed as one of the best pictures of the year. It is called "An English Orchard, Spring-time" (115), and the artist could scarcely have chosen a more difficult subject. That these difficulties have been successf ully surmounted ia proof that Mrs Findlay has studied in the best schools and has been an apt pupil. Tho greenish grey tones of the blossoming trees are admirably balanced and the values accurately preserved throughout. The shadows thrown by the trees on the thick grass are realistically rendered, and the manner in which the pink blossoms are put in shows the capable and well-trained artist. The picture might have been improved by the absence of the figure of the boy in the foreground, which is the only discordant note in this most harmonious and delicate piece of colour. It is but seldom we find such broad and forceful work from the hand of a lady arti3t, and the Society is to be congratulated on this i latest accession to its ranks. Mrs Findlay's sketch of a weather-beaten sailor, [called "An Old Chum" (141), .shows , that her strength does not lie in por- ' trait painting, the colour being decidedly crude and the drawing more than doubt- ! ful. Hiss Mima Gardner sends some small drawings, the result of studies in Europe and New Zealand,, but they do not rise above the ordinary amateur level. Miss Nora Gardner, however, handles a firmer and more vigorous brush, and there is some clever painting in the middle distance in her picture " Near New Brighton " (83), but a want of finish and an absence of detail in the rushes in- the foreground detracts from its merits as a whole. The other contributions of th_3 lady are somewhat inferior to the one just mentioned. It would be unprofitable to pass in review all the pictures of flowers, &c, painted on canvas, panels, and paper, of which there j is the usual large and varied assortment J this year. Suffice it to say that they are fully up to the average of what have been exhibited on former occasions, Miss M. Stoddart's drawing being specially worthy of mention as careful and conscientious work. Miss Stoddart's " Silent Company ". (222), "a group of Maori skulle, lying ainoiig some brown leaves, is a skilful drawing of a nob very pleasant subject. A little water-colour drawing by Miss E. Low, a view of Venice seen in the distance from the sea (72), deserves praise, the water being boldly and effectively painted, j and the clear, still air of the Mediterranean j well caught. Miss Boys' view on the Heathcote (94) shows promise, the clump of i reeds in tbe foreground being carefully drawn. Miss J. Wimperis has sent six drawing this year. She has still her old fault of making her shadows too spotty, but her drawings are undoubtedly clever, especially her lagoon sketches at -Longbeach (Nos. 166, 169, and 226). Her largest work, " Study of Ked Pine" (187) possesses decided merit, especially in the rendering of the distant country, a3 seen through tho trunks of the trees, and we a' so like the small sketch, "On the Pnrakanui (202), which has more sunlight in it than we generally find in this artist's pictures. Miss Eosa Budden shows, on the whole, improvement on her work of last year. Her colour is still hard, but 3he is so evidently conscientious that she, will no doubt do better in time. Her best drawing is a sketch of a " Creek in Devil's Gully," a study of boulders, with bush overhead. This gained the Society's medal, and certainly is the best of those sent in for competition, although this is not according it very high praise. Mrs T. A. Mollett'- portrait of Miss Mabel Tendall (73), a half-length picture of a girl in a white dress, is rather spotty in the flesh painting, which gives ifc an unpleasant effect, but the drapery has merit. Miss A. Searell's black and white drawing, "Not much after all/ showing a labourer in his shirt sleeves, is a clever study, in which there is promise of better things in the future. . The last of the ladies' coatri-

butions that we intend to notice is undoubtedly one of the most important pictures in the gallery. We refer to Miss Hodgkins's study entitled "Marguerites" (229). Thia is not only beyond comparison superior to any work of the kind here, but it stands on an altogether higher plane of art. It is comparatively easy to represent flowers mora' or less correctly upon a level background, which nearly afl. our lady artists are satisfied with doing, but Miss Hodgkins has attempted something very different to this. The picture represents a bunch of white daisies, mingled with dark brown vine leaves and berries. ■ These are placed in a brown jug, in front of which is an oldfashioned blue cup. The artist has laid down a distinct scheme of colour, of which the brown pot is the centre, and it fades off to a steely grey. This scheme has been carried out with consummate skill, and a careful study of this drawing, which is admirably wrought throughout, will be of great benefit to the numerous lady members of the Society who affect the painting of still life. Before proceeding to speak of the recent purchases of the Society, there are some omissions in our former notices which should be rectified. For example, the sketches sent by the veterau artist, Mr J. Gully, were inadvertently overlooked. He only sends three small sketches, the best of which is "Nelson Haven" (147), a warm grey evening effect excellently depicted. The artist's other drawings, "Head of Lake Te Anau" (170), "Mount Luxmore, Manippri Station," (175) are bright and sunshiny, but are similar in treatment and style to what we have bad so frequently from Mr Gully, who, if he is among our cleverest painters, is also, perhaps, our most mannered. Mr G. H. Elliott, the master of the local Art School, shows two water-colours, the larger of which, "Mount Franklin, Nelson," (212) is somewhat weak as regards the drawing of the water, while the snow-clad hills are too white. These blemishes are, however, to a great extent redeemed by the excellent modelling of the dark green hill in the middle distance. The sculptor's art is represented this year by only one exhibitor, Mr E. J. Greenstreet, who sends two small statuettes. The one is a portrait of a youth, in terra cotta, and the other a boy resting on a stone, modelled in clay. Both of these are unquestionably clever, and show that Mr Greenstreet is improving in an art, the study of which presents many difficulties in the Colony, where so few works of sculpture are to be found. In some respects, the most important feature of the present Exhibition is the presence of the pictures chosen for the Art Society by the President of the Royal j Academy. Sir Frederick Leighton was requested to choose five pictures by modern artis.3, and he has exercised a wise discretion in sending out works more noticeable for the excellence of their technical qualities than for the interest of their subject. The largest and most important of the Society's new acquisitions is Mr A. T. Nowell's "Harbour at Low Tide" (75), which was not only exhibited at the Royal Academy last year, but which bad also previously secured for the artist the Turner medal. We may also mention, as Bhowing the promise of this young painter, that he subsequently was also awarded the Historical medal in the Academy, thus securing a "double first," a distinction never before obtained by a student in the schools. That we have been fortunate in procuring this picture must be admitted by all who appreciate great technical skill combined with poetical feeling. The time chosen by the artist is when the shades of evening have fallen over an old-fashioned English fishing village, the last glowing light of the fading day disappearing behind the houses, and casting luminous reflections on the water. The dark shadows of the large fishing vessels, left high and dry by the receding tide, shown in the channel which runs through the sand, serve to heighten by contrast the strength of the lights thrown by the sky. Looked at closely, the picture seems to be indistinctly painted, but when seen from the proper distance the various details Btand out vividly, showing that the artist has thoroughly caught the values of the different tones. As an instance of this, we would point to the bright blue boat which lies under tbe dark wall on the left side of the picture, and the introduction of the same colour in other parts of the picture, such as inthe offing, and among the details of the larger vessels. It is for the student that this painting has an especial value, and we should advise our local artists to study it carefully. No. 68, " Welcome Morsels," by Mr L. C. Nightingale, belongs to an altogether different school, but it is none the less good in its own style. The subject is simple enough, and shows a little girl standing at a cottage porch, feeding a couple of goats, but the drawing and painting are exquisite. Perhaps the most noticeable feature in the picture is the skilful treatment oi the greenish greys in the old porch, with the vine surmounting it, and there is also excellent painting in the red-brick wall, with the rose-bush climbing up it. " Reverie " (77), by Mr G. W. Joy, may be regarded as the least satisfactory of the purchases, although, as needs scarcely be said, there is admirable work to be found in it. It depicts a young girl, clad in a dull green dres_, holding a violin in her^hand, and sitting on the edge of the table opposite a music-stand. The face, which is looking straight out of the picture, wears a thoughtful air, and is artistically painted, but we think the chief merit lies in the drapery, which is skilfully and broadly handled. "The Tyrant " (80), by Mrs Seymour Lucas, is ,a very brilliant and effective piece of colouring, boldly executed. The expression of a petulant child is exactly caught, while the skilled artist is shown by the introduction of the dull-coloured ball in the baby's hand, serving to keep down the high note of colour in which the study is pitched. The only water-colour sent out by Sir Frederick Leighton is a view near Burnham Beeches (67) by Mr Octavius Rickatson. To those who are only familiar with New Zealand landscapes tho colour will probably appear unnatural, but it is none the le_B true. The time is evidently late autumn, when the trees are denuded of their leaves and the undergrowth assumes a variety of brownish tint?. There is broad work in the drawing of the distant elms, and much cleverness in the working of the foregrot J.d, but the picture as a whole will probably not be so popular as the rest of the English pictures. To the student, however, it will be none the lesc useful as showing how certain effects can be gained otherwise than by " niggling " and over excess of detail — a noticeable fault of many of our younger artists. Having brought our notices of the pictures to an end, we shall perhapß be pardoned for writing a few words in general terms concerning the gallery. As we said in our initial article, the Exhibition is decidedly the best we have yet had here, and having said this it may seem inconsistent to have found fault with not a few of the exhibits. The inconsistency, however, is more apparent than real. It does not by any means follow that because we point ou, certain faults in a work that it is inherently bad— on the contrary, the fact that it was worth critisisingatall premises that it possessed some merit. Our readers will have noticed that several pictures have been passed by without mention, and this has been done simply because we failed to see any signs in them of promise of better work in the future. Then, again, the artist should not resent being told that he or she having attempted a difficult task has not entirely succeeded. Partial failure in such a case is, after all, better than perfect success in compassing an easy thing. To adopt a simile of Browning, it is nobler to be tho man who graßps at a million, even though he misses a unit, than that lower man who satisfies himself by adding his one to one till he reaches his hundred. There is ample evidence in this exhibition that our artists have good intentions, and that they only lack technical skill to enable them to realise their ideas. This skill can only.be attained by careful ahd unremitting study, and in our,, criticisms of the pictures we have been governed by a desire, however humble, to point out the direction these studies should take. '